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Robot wars, mini drones and more highlight Engineers Week

Bot wars.

Students gather for bot wars, the marquee event of UB's National Engineering Week activities. Photo: Douglas Levere

By CORY NEALON

Published February 18, 2016 This content is archived.

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It’s time to get your geek on.

UB student engineers will host dozens of events — everything from building virtual reality headsets to making the perfect salsa — as part of National Engineers Week.

The events, which run daily from Feb. 22-27 in the Student Union, celebrate how engineers make a difference in the world. They also promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in fun and engaging ways, and highlight the diversity of student engineering clubs at UB.

Here are some highlights.

Egg drop.

Monday

  • 2-4 p.m.: Egg drop. Can students build a contraption that’s strong, yet flexible enough to help an egg survive a three-story drop?

Tuesday

  • 9-11 a.m.: 3D-printed boat race. These tiny boats were built by students using cutting-edge technology.
Cardboard sled race.

Wednesday

  • 9-11 a.m.: Cardboard sled races. Note: This is a weather-dependent event set to occur outside the Student Union.
  • Noon to 2 p.m.: Quadcopter races. Find out who is the best at handling these mini-drones.

Thursday

  • 3-5 p.m.: Heat shield testing. In this NASA-inspired contest, students will test how much heat their shield can handle outside the Student Union.
bot wars.

Friday

  • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Robot wars. The week’s marque event based upon the cult television show in which remote-controlled robots battle inside a cage.

The full schedule of events is available on the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ website.

Another highlight of the week is the UB Engineer of the Year award, which will be presented Tuesday to Patrick F. Abrami, a UB alumnus who received a master’s and bachelor degree in industrial engineering in 1975 and 1972, respectively.

Abrami is a partner and consultant at Applied Management Systems, a Massachusetts-based health care operations consulting firm. He also is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, where he serves as vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The award will be presented before the Order of the Engineer, an induction ceremony for senior engineering majors who are congratulated for their progress toward becoming an engineer and reminded of their soon-to-be professional obligation toward improving the welfare of humankind.